This article needs to be updated. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2021)
Founded in 1918, the Cleveland Orchestra first performed at Grays Armory in downtown Cleveland and moved to the Masonic Auditorium for concerts during the 1920s.[3] But both buildings also hosted other types of events that occasionally created scheduling conflicts for the Orchestra, including, most famously, twice when the ensemble had to find an alternate location because of a poultry exhibition.[4] The Orchestra’s administration soon came to realize the advantages that having a permanent concert hall would bring to the ensemble's performances, rehearsals, and radio broadcasts.
After encouragement from Cleveland Orchestra founder Adella Prentiss Hughes and music director Nikolai Sokoloff, plans for Severance Hall began to emerge based on a plot of land offered by Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve University) at a leasing cost of $1.00 per year[5] and potential funds contributed by the general public and local philanthropists.[6] During a gala concert celebrating the Orchestra’s tenth-anniversary, Dudley Blossom, an early benefactor, announced that John L. Severance, president of the Musical Arts Association, and his wife, Elisabeth, had pledged $1 million to the construction of a new hall.[7] In support of an associated fundraising campaign, Blossom and his wife donated $750,000 the following day.[7] Though Elisabeth Severance died in 1929, John Severance was determined to see the project through to its completion and intended for the concert hall to serve as a de facto memorial to his late wife. Despite a collapse of the United States’ economy in 1929, the groundbreaking for Severance Hall was held on November 14, 1929 and Severance’s contribution eventually ballooned to more than $2.6 million.[8] The concert hall was designed by the Cleveland firm of Walker & Weeks,[9] which had also built Cleveland’s Federal Reserve Bank and Public Library.[10] Severance Hall opened on February 5, 1931, hosting a gala concert broadcast live across the radio to mark the occasion.[11]
In addition to serving as the Cleveland Orchestra’s home and as a commencement site for Case Western Reserve University, Severance Hall is available to rent for concerts, weddings, corporate events, and receptions. On Severance Hall’s ground floor is Reinberger Chamber Hall, a separate 402-seat auditorium that is frequently used for more intimate performances and pre-concert lectures.
On September 30, 2021, the Cleveland Orchestra and Musical Arts Association announced that it would rename the venue Severance Music Center.[12][13]
Architecture
Designed by Cleveland firm Walker & Weeks, Severance Hall is located at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East Boulevard. The front entrance features a grand lobby in the form of a domed rotunda, with the main auditorium and various service spaces spread out in a conjoined fan. The building’s exterior was designed to complement the nearby Cleveland Museum of Art, featuring a neoclassical portico[14] and an Art Deco relief by New York sculptor Henry Hering.
The interior of Severance Hall features a variety of architectural styles, including Art Deco and elements of Egyptian Revival. The Grand Foyer is surrounded by marble columns and decorated with papyrus and lotus flower patterns that are used in a number of places.[15] The main concert hall features a silvery aluminum leaf ceiling with designs based on 18th-century English point lace.[15][16][17]
Acoustics
Shortly after the opening of Severance Hall, several acoustic problems were noted. These were attributed to the use of velvet curtains in audience boxes, thick carpet across much of the hall, and a large, sound-absorbing fly space located above the stage.[18] In addition, removable shells created for the Orchestra were constructed of materials that didn't reflect sound. Finally, the 6,025-pipe Ernest M. Skinner organ could be heard, but its positioning outside the auditorium itself was experimental and limited the options for addressing the auditorium's dry acoustics.[19]
In 1958, at the prompting of music director George Szell, an acoustical redesign of the hall was undertaken. To make the auditorium more resonant, the original proscenium and blue velvet curtains were removed and the use of carpet was reduced to a minimum.[20] On the stage, a permanent acoustical shell was built — affectionately known as “The Szell Shell” — which consisted of thick wooden walls formed in a series of convex curves.[21] To make the walls less absorbent and more reflective of sound, they were filled with sand. The result was a more vibrant-sounding space which complemented the Orchestra’s tone under Szell's direction.[22]
Concert stage of Severance Hall
Visually, though, the new Modernist stage clashed with the elegant Art Deco design of the concert hall. In addition, the organ's pipe chambers were effectively sealed off from the auditorium by the new shell — rendering the organ non-functional unless its sound was transmitted into the auditorium through microphones and speakers.[22]
Changes and renovations
The new Severance Hall stage prior to a Cleveland Orchestra concert
As the use of taxis and chauffeured vehicles declined, Severance Hall’s tiled drive-through entrance was closed in 1970. A dining area was created in the resulting space. Later, one of the access corridors on the ground floor was converted into a dressing room for female orchestra members (harpist Alice Chalifoux had used her instrument case to dress in the late 1930s and early 1940s, when she was one of the few women in the ensemble).[23]
Beginning in 1998, Severance Hall underwent an extensive two-year, $36 million restoration and expansion led by architect David M. Schwarz. The renovated building reopened in January 2000, winning a National Preservation Honor Award.[24] The most significant aesthetic change was the replacement of the “Szell Shell” with a new shell that combined the acoustics of the old model with a decorative style in harmony with the rest of the hall.[25] The stage included a place for the relocation of the Orchestra’s newly-restored Ernest M. Skinner organ.[26] The project also created a street-level lobby, a new restaurant, and additional offices for the Orchestra’s administrative staff.[25]
^Rosenberg, Donald (2000). The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. Cleveland: Gray & Company. pp. 104.
^Cash, Bobby . Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2011-07-10., "Severance Hall Historical Site," in Teaching & Learning Cleveland, Item #564. February 2009.
^Rosenberg, Donald (2000). The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. Cleveland: Gray & Company. pp. 100-101.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. pp. 99–100.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 104.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. pp. 102–104.
^ abRosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 99.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 110.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 105.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 107.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. pp. 112–113.
^"Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation Gives Historic $50 Million Grant to The Cleveland Orchestra" (Press release). The Cleveland Orchestra and Musical Arts Association. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
^Lewis, Zachary (2021-09-30). "Cleveland Orchestra to rename Severance Hall after receiving $50 million gift from Mandel Foundation". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 108.
^ abRosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. pp. 108–109.
^Cleveland Architecture, 1876-1976: 1876-1976, By Eric Johannesen, Western Reserve Historical Society, 1979, p. 163
^A Cleveland Legacy: The Architecture of Walker and Weeks, By Eric Johannesen, Kent State University Press, 1999, p. 195
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 114.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. pp. 106–107.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. pp. 300–301.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 300.
^ abRosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 302.
^Rosenberg, Donald. The Cleveland Orchestra Story: Second to None. p. 354.
Marsh, Robert C. (1967). The Cleveland Orchestra. World Publishing Company. Library of Congress 67-22910.
. Retrieved October 27, 2005.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Severance Hall.
Article in Entertainment Design magazine
May 11, 2023
severance, hall, this, article, needs, updated, relevant, discussion, found, talk, page, please, help, update, this, article, reflect, recent, events, newly, available, information, october, 2021, concert, hall, home, cleveland, orchestra, university, circle, . This article needs to be updated Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information October 2021 Severance Hall is a concert hall and the home of the Cleveland Orchestra in the University Circle section of Cleveland Ohio Opened in 1931 to give the orchestra a permanent home the building is named for patrons John L Severance and his wife Elisabeth Huntingdon DeWitt Severance 1 It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of Cleveland s Wade Park District 2 Severance Music CenterAddress11001 Euclid AvenueCleveland OhioUnited StatesCoordinates41 30 23 N 81 36 34 W 41 50639 N 81 60944 W 41 50639 81 60944 Coordinates 41 30 23 N 81 36 34 W 41 50639 N 81 60944 W 41 50639 81 60944OwnerMusical Arts AssociationOperatorCleveland OrchestraCapacityConcert hall 2 000Reinberger Chamber Hall 402ConstructionOpenedFebruary 5 1931 1931 02 05 Reopened2000ArchitectWalker and WeeksWebsiteclevelandorchestra wbr comPediment sculpture by Henry Hering Contents 1 History 2 Architecture 3 Acoustics 4 Changes and renovations 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditFounded in 1918 the Cleveland Orchestra first performed at Grays Armory in downtown Cleveland and moved to the Masonic Auditorium for concerts during the 1920s 3 But both buildings also hosted other types of events that occasionally created scheduling conflicts for the Orchestra including most famously twice when the ensemble had to find an alternate location because of a poultry exhibition 4 The Orchestra s administration soon came to realize the advantages that having a permanent concert hall would bring to the ensemble s performances rehearsals and radio broadcasts After encouragement from Cleveland Orchestra founder Adella Prentiss Hughes and music director Nikolai Sokoloff plans for Severance Hall began to emerge based on a plot of land offered by Western Reserve University now Case Western Reserve University at a leasing cost of 1 00 per year 5 and potential funds contributed by the general public and local philanthropists 6 During a gala concert celebrating the Orchestra s tenth anniversary Dudley Blossom an early benefactor announced that John L Severance president of the Musical Arts Association and his wife Elisabeth had pledged 1 million to the construction of a new hall 7 In support of an associated fundraising campaign Blossom and his wife donated 750 000 the following day 7 Though Elisabeth Severance died in 1929 John Severance was determined to see the project through to its completion and intended for the concert hall to serve as a de facto memorial to his late wife Despite a collapse of the United States economy in 1929 the groundbreaking for Severance Hall was held on November 14 1929 and Severance s contribution eventually ballooned to more than 2 6 million 8 The concert hall was designed by the Cleveland firm of Walker amp Weeks 9 which had also built Cleveland s Federal Reserve Bank and Public Library 10 Severance Hall opened on February 5 1931 hosting a gala concert broadcast live across the radio to mark the occasion 11 In addition to serving as the Cleveland Orchestra s home and as a commencement site for Case Western Reserve University Severance Hall is available to rent for concerts weddings corporate events and receptions On Severance Hall s ground floor is Reinberger Chamber Hall a separate 402 seat auditorium that is frequently used for more intimate performances and pre concert lectures The Bogomolny Kozerefski Grand Foyer On September 30 2021 the Cleveland Orchestra and Musical Arts Association announced that it would rename the venue Severance Music Center 12 13 Architecture EditDesigned by Cleveland firm Walker amp Weeks Severance Hall is located at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East Boulevard The front entrance features a grand lobby in the form of a domed rotunda with the main auditorium and various service spaces spread out in a conjoined fan The building s exterior was designed to complement the nearby Cleveland Museum of Art featuring a neoclassical portico 14 and an Art Deco relief by New York sculptor Henry Hering The interior of Severance Hall features a variety of architectural styles including Art Deco and elements of Egyptian Revival The Grand Foyer is surrounded by marble columns and decorated with papyrus and lotus flower patterns that are used in a number of places 15 The main concert hall features a silvery aluminum leaf ceiling with designs based on 18th century English point lace 15 16 17 Acoustics EditShortly after the opening of Severance Hall several acoustic problems were noted These were attributed to the use of velvet curtains in audience boxes thick carpet across much of the hall and a large sound absorbing fly space located above the stage 18 In addition removable shells created for the Orchestra were constructed of materials that didn t reflect sound Finally the 6 025 pipe Ernest M Skinner organ could be heard but its positioning outside the auditorium itself was experimental and limited the options for addressing the auditorium s dry acoustics 19 In 1958 at the prompting of music director George Szell an acoustical redesign of the hall was undertaken To make the auditorium more resonant the original proscenium and blue velvet curtains were removed and the use of carpet was reduced to a minimum 20 On the stage a permanent acoustical shell was built affectionately known as The Szell Shell which consisted of thick wooden walls formed in a series of convex curves 21 To make the walls less absorbent and more reflective of sound they were filled with sand The result was a more vibrant sounding space which complemented the Orchestra s tone under Szell s direction 22 Concert stage of Severance Hall Visually though the new Modernist stage clashed with the elegant Art Deco design of the concert hall In addition the organ s pipe chambers were effectively sealed off from the auditorium by the new shell rendering the organ non functional unless its sound was transmitted into the auditorium through microphones and speakers 22 Changes and renovations Edit The new Severance Hall stage prior to a Cleveland Orchestra concert As the use of taxis and chauffeured vehicles declined Severance Hall s tiled drive through entrance was closed in 1970 A dining area was created in the resulting space Later one of the access corridors on the ground floor was converted into a dressing room for female orchestra members harpist Alice Chalifoux had used her instrument case to dress in the late 1930s and early 1940s when she was one of the few women in the ensemble 23 Beginning in 1998 Severance Hall underwent an extensive two year 36 million restoration and expansion led by architect David M Schwarz The renovated building reopened in January 2000 winning a National Preservation Honor Award 24 The most significant aesthetic change was the replacement of the Szell Shell with a new shell that combined the acoustics of the old model with a decorative style in harmony with the rest of the hall 25 The stage included a place for the relocation of the Orchestra s newly restored Ernest M Skinner organ 26 The project also created a street level lobby a new restaurant and additional offices for the Orchestra s administrative staff 25 See also EditList of concert hallsReferences Edit Rosenberg Donald 2000 The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None Cleveland Gray amp Company pp 104 Cash Bobby Teaching amp Learning Cleveland Severance Hall Historical Site Archived from the original on 2012 03 20 Retrieved 2011 07 10 Severance Hall Historical Site in Teaching amp Learning Cleveland Item 564 February 2009 Rosenberg Donald 2000 The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None Cleveland Gray amp Company pp 100 101 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None pp 99 100 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 104 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None pp 102 104 a b Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 99 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 110 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 105 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 107 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None pp 112 113 Jack Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation Gives Historic 50 Million Grant to The Cleveland Orchestra Press release The Cleveland Orchestra and Musical Arts Association 2021 09 30 Retrieved 2021 10 14 Lewis Zachary 2021 09 30 Cleveland Orchestra to rename Severance Hall after receiving 50 million gift from Mandel Foundation The Plain Dealer Retrieved 2021 10 14 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 108 a b Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None pp 108 109 Cleveland Architecture 1876 1976 1876 1976 By Eric Johannesen Western Reserve Historical Society 1979 p 163 A Cleveland Legacy The Architecture of Walker and Weeks By Eric Johannesen Kent State University Press 1999 p 195 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 114 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None pp 106 107 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None pp 300 301 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 300 a b Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 302 Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 354 Cleveland Landmark Wins National Preservation Award National Trust for Historic Preservation 2001 10 01 a b Rosenberg Donald The Cleveland Orchestra Story Second to None p 538 From the Project Archives Severance Hall Cleveland Ohio Schantz Organ Company Archived from the original on 2007 10 20 Retrieved 2010 10 02 Rosenberg Donald 2000 The Cleveland Orchestra Story 1st ed Gray amp Company Publishers ISBN 1 886228 24 8 Marsh Robert C 1967 The Cleveland Orchestra World Publishing Company Library of Congress 67 22910 Severance Hall Retrieved October 27 2005 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Severance Hall Article in Entertainment Design magazine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Severance Hall amp oldid 1152188399, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
